Car roof



March 29, 1938. D. w. HAWKSWORTH ET AL 2,112,810

CAR ROOF Filed Feb. 5, 1936 INVENTORS DAVID w. HAWKSWORTH HORACE W.N]|LLER 2r A TTORX/iYS Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES CAR ROOF David W. Hawksworth, Birmingham, and Horace W. Miller, Detroit, Mich, assignors to Chicago- Hutchins Corporation, a corporation of Dela- Ware Application February 3, 1936, Serial No. 62,200

5 Claims,

The invention relates to all-metal car roofs of that type known as two-plane in which the roofing sheets have portions extending across the car located in spaced upper and lower planes. With certain constructions of roofs of this type, the upper and lower plane portions are spaced from each other the greatest distance at the ridge of the roof and from this point towards the eaves taper towards each other, finally merging into a single depending plane portion which is secured to the side plates of the car frame. A point of weakness in such structures is the point where the upper and lower plane portions first merge into the single plane portion and which is adjacent to the point where the direction changes from lateral to vertical. Thus, to avoid this weakness the roof is sometimes provided with a reinforcing member secured to the side plate of the roof frame and having a rounded flange for supporting the roofing sheets.

It is the object of the present invention to simplify the construction and to dispense with this reinforcing member, while at the same time, obtaining the necessary strength in the roofing sheets to avoid the localization of stresses at any one point therein. To this end the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a car roof of a two-plane type embodying the improved construction;

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section through the side plate of the car frame showing one of the improved roofing sheets secured thereto;

Figure 3 is a cross section on line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective View of a portion of the roofing sheet.

A is one of the side plates of the car frame shown as an angle bar and B are the roofing sheets, each of which has an upper plane portion C and lower plane portions D on opposite sides of said upper plane portion and connected thereto by substantially vertical portions E. The upper and lower plane portions are spaced from each other the greatest distance at the center or ridge and from this point gradually taper towards each other, finally merging into a depending portion F at the eaves which is secured to the side plate A by rivets G or other suitable means.

As heretofore constructed, there is a single curved portion adjacent to the caves to which the upper and lower plane tapering portions are (Cl. 1085.4) v

This has a tendency to concentrate tangent. stresses in this curved portion; so, as above described, it has been customary to provide a separate reinforcement therefor. With the present construction, this separate reinforcement is dispensed with and the curved portion of the sheet is reinforced as follows.

In place of a single curve to which the depending portion and upper and lower plane portions are tangent, the roof member is formed with curved portions H and I of different radii. The sub-portions H as shown are of a smaller radius and-have tangent thereto the portions D, C and F, which form the greater part of the width of both upper and lower plane portions of the roof, as well as the depending flange portion F thereof. The larger radius or radially offset portions I are located in the portion of the sheet on opposite sides of the substantially vertical portion E and are tangent to portions C D and F which gradually merge respectively into the planes of the portions C, D and F. Thus, the portions I form in effect strengthening ribs which extend around the curve to greatly reinforce the same and as they gradually taper out localized stress at any one point is avoided. The lower plane portion of the roof inclines towards the eaves to provide drainage for the water; and to avoid trapping any water, the portions D are of sufficient length so that they still incline downward from the point of merger with the portions D towards the curved portions I. If desired, the lower end of the portion F may be return-bent to form a spacer portion F which is between the portion F and the side plate A. This will provide further reinforcement at a point adjacent to the rivets G.

The roof units B are secured to each other in one of the planes and as specifically shown this is in the lower plane D, the abutting edges of adjacent units having up-turned flanges J which are welded to each other. However, this specific construction is not essential to the present invention.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In a car roof, a roofing unit having an upper plane portion and a lower plane portion connected by a substantially vertical intermediate portion, said upper and lower plane portions tapering towards each other and merging into a down-turned portion at the eaves, the portion intermediate said upper and lower plane portions and said downturned portion having radially oifset curved sub-portions forming a reinforcement therefor.

2. In a car roof, a roofing unit comprising an upper plane portion and a lower plane portion connectedto each other by a. substantially vertical portion, said upper and lower plane portions tapering towards each other from the ridge towards the eaves and merging into a single plane down-turned portion at the eaves, the portion intermediate'said upper and lower plane portions and said down-turned portion being formed of radially offset curved sub-portions, the inner sub-portions being of greater width than "the outer sub-portions and the latter being located upon opposite sides of and adjacent to said substantially vertical portion.

3. In a car roof, a roofing unit comprising an upper planeportion, a lower plane portion and a connecting substantially vertical portion, said upper and lower plane -portions tapering towards each other from the ridge towards the eaves and at the eaves merging into a downturned single plane'portion, the portion intermediate said upper and lower plane portions and down-turned single plane portion being formed of sub-portions which are radially offset arcuate curves, the inner -curved sub-portions being directly tangent to the upper plane, lower plane and down-turned plane portions, and the outer sub-portions being tangent to portions gradually tapering towards and finally merging with said upper plane, lower plane and downturned plane portions.

4. In a car roof, a roofing unit having an upper. plane portion, a lower plane portion and a connecting portion, saidupper and lower plane portions tapering towards each other and merging into a single plane down-turned portion at the eaves, the portion intermediate said upper and lower plane portions and said down-turned portionhaving radially offset curved sub-portions forming a reinforcement therefor.

DAVID W. HAWKSWORTH, HORACE W. MILLER. 

